[SG] Underwater was RE: [DS] Underwater...

G'day David,

> Please! Either to the list or private.

You asked for it;)

I'll send the SG and FT separately. Once again same warnings as for the DS
stuff, its rough and I never got the chance to put in people's suggestions
(you can either sift through the archives for them or I could sen you a text
file of the lot offlist).

Cheers

Beth
> [quoted text omitted]

STARGRUNT SUGGESTIONS

There are probably fewer modifications necessary for SG than DS, but here are
a few thoughts...

Mission Motivation: Working in a foreign medium does nothing for the nerves,
you have always

got to have that little extra edge in the back of your mind, and if you don't
then it reaches up and bites you on the butt..... Thus all reaction
tests have an additional +1 to the threat level (except for the 'sniper
going into hiding test' which is as normal) as do the confidence tests done as
a part of a close assault.

Mobility and Terrain Effects: It would probably be quite OK to use the
existing movement regimes for infantry seeing as the biggest differences would
be vs vehicles rather than other infantry types (i.e. less obvious than in
DS). The only change to this would be that if they're actually exiting the
water (i.e. have stood up or are dolphining out of the surf zone), then their
movement rates will be down 2 die types (with 'normal troops actually moving
only 2" and rolling a D4 and counting the result as a 1 on a 1 or 2 and a 2 on
a 3 or 4).

Vehicle base movement now becomes 6" for wheeled vehicles and 12" for
everything else but GRAV and boats which go 15".

The terrain effects on mobility and ambient weather conditions are as
given/assumed above for DS.

Spotting: As normal, but the die type is shifted up one for every 6" rather
than
every 12" and if the water is turbid then unaided vision has a -1 to the
roll.

Weaponry: Missile fire is not effected by the fact its underwater (they're
assumed to be missiles modified for fire underwater or actually torpedos),
however
other weapons are effected. There is an extra (cover-like) die shift to
the
target die for targets of non-missile fire; these shifts are as follows:
WEAPON SHIFT to Target Die
Small Arms - close only           UP 3
Small Arms = rifles UP 2 SAWs UP 2 Infantry Plasma Gun UP 1 RFAC UP 3 HVC UP 2
GAC UP 2 MDC UP 1 DFFG UP 1 HEL UP 1 if clear water UP 2 if coastal UP 4 if
turbid

Heavy weapon range bands are also reduced to 8" x target size

Hit Effects: If vehicles are penetrated but not destroyed (i.e. disabled) then
roll again and if firer exceeds target's armour die then the vehicle begins to
flood, if not repaired in 2 turns then it must be abandoned (if the crew

can't escape it they're dead).

The effects of an explosion underwater can be pretty devastating to the
surrounding area too. Thus ANY unit (friend or foe) within 6" of a vehicle
that has been destroyed or a successful (fully effective) missile, or
explosive artillery, strike potentially suffers a hit too. Repeat the fire
resolution as if the unit was the actual target, but with an extra UP 1 (if
this would make it impossible to hit them then give them a suppression
regardless).

Medical Treatment: Unsuited infantry who are wounded must be moved to
land/surface the very next activation or they are considered deceased.
Suited infantry or wounded in vehicles may survive longer than their unsuited
comrades, however, they're still in a dangerous medium and the
sooner they're treated the better, so there is a -1 to the treatment
roll for every turn that has elapsed since they were wounded (i.e. if its been
3
turns then there is a -3 etc).

DFO: Surface vessels may also use DFO, these must be placed along the path
moved by the vessel that turn, but don't forget that anything caught in the
burst radius is effected (i.e. watch you don't catch yourself).

Dropping off troops: Troops may drop from craft hovering about the surface as
if dropping onto a clear plain on land (you can still hurt yourself pretty
badly dropping into the water so the WOUNDED on a 1 still stands), drops are
not allowed within 6" of a reef or turbulence zone.

Troops exiting a vehicle underwater can only do that if the vehicle is taking
flood damage (well I guess if you exited a healthy vehicle it'd end up flooded
anyway and so be useless) or if the vehicle is identified as having a 'dive
pool' before the game (purpose built marine APCs are assumed to have these
automatically). Firing troops out torpedo tubes is not advised.

Wildlife: There's even more scope for the interaction of troops and wildlife
at this scale than any other so a few ideas (along the lines of those given
for FT and DS) are given here too.

Leviathans could do a lot to mess up a good battle plan, especially if they
get in the road. While they would most likely steer clear of a battle in

full swing, they may just happen to be caught in the middle when one starts.
On the flip side, quite a part from accidental encounters aquatic predators
may be drawn to battle sites. They could be of any size, though even the
really impressive ones would be probably only have a fairly low

armour class (its not impossible for them to be some chitinous monster from
another realm, but its more likely they'll be more lightly armoured so they
have greater mobility). They'd have to be in contact with a squad or vehicle
to 'attack' it, I'd given them a weapon the same size as they are (to reflect
the actions of bulk as much as anything) with a (just for
e.g)
Firepower die of D8 and an Impact of D10 (this is really up for grabs though
and would depend on the nature of the beast, its size, any teeth etc it had or
whether it was just hitting you with its size). Packs of smaller animals would
be better represented as a squad close assaulting with the

equivalent of knives or something.

Fouling wildlife (like jellyfish etc which entangle but may also sting) is
dangerous especially if encountered in swarms. As stated for DS, these would
move with the currents and if they end on the same spot as a unit then they
will smother it. Vehicles and PA don't take wounds, but they are hampered and
take a suppression. Unsuited infantry suffer an attack, as if fired upon by a
full strength squad with 'improvised firearms' at close range. Furthermore,
swarms of any kind needn't contact troops to hamper operations and dense
schools of small 'fish' etc could be counted as additional soft cover if they
got into the line of fire.